Healthier Gluten-Free Tuna Casserole

My mom use to make tuna casserole when we were kids. I miss that. 

Gluten-free products have become more common in recent years, sure, but it’s still not always as easy as opening a box of mac ’n cheese and adding tuna to it. 

And quite frankly, I don’t really want it to be. As much as I love convenience, I want to eat healthier things more. 

So along with using gluten-free pasta, we’ve cleaned up the cheese sauce, and used Wild Selections Wild-caught tuna for our protein. 

Garrett’s been very interested in ocean animals recently, which has led us to looking into marine conservation, and wild versus farmed fish – and even “regular” tuna versus albacore. 

So we thought it was fitting to buy some wild-caught albacore tuna for our tuna casserole project – especially since they donate thirteen cents from every can sold to World Wildlife Fund marine conservation and fishery improvement projects. (you can find a store that carries Wild Selections here.)

Some of the Benefits of Wild Selections: 

For our “cleaned up cheese sauce” we did something a little bit unconventional. I found out about a mock Alfredo sauce recipe using white beans as a thickener several years ago, and fell in love! 

You don’t taste the beans – in fact they’re blended up smooth and creamy. All they do is thicken the sauce, and add a bunch of fiber and protein. Total win! 

Do you know what this means? We can eat mom’s tuna casserole – guilt-free! 

Healthier Gluten-Free Tuna Casserole

Gluten-Free Healthified Tuna Casserole

• Author: Elise

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 8oz package of gluten-free pasta (I used fetucinni in pictured batch)
• 1.515 oz cans of white beans, or 2 cups cooked, drained beans
• 2 cups milk (almond, rice, or dairy milk)
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar or monterey jack cheese
• 2 cans Wild Selections Albacore tuna fish in water (find it here)
• 1 cups frozen green peas
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare pasta according to directions
2. Combine beans and milk in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth (you can also use an immersion blender in a sauce pot – so easy!)
3. Pour into a pan and heat over medium heat while stirring
4. Add cheese and peas, and continue heating until cheese melts
5. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Pour over prepared pasta in a 9×13 baking dish
7. Drain tuna and add to pasta dish
8. Stir to combine
9. Bake casserole at 350º for 20 minutes
10. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly to set before serving
11. Enjoy!